Mayor Bloomberg stood up on a desk as he addressed his staff before leaving for the night.

“We have the best team ever. I’m a little part of it, but so are every one of you. So are the 290,000 people that work for New York City and for the other agencies,” the mayor said to thunderous applause. “I think it’s fair to say we’ve done some amazing things, but hopefully, it really is just the beginning.”

As he looked back on his three terms, Bloomberg expressed hope for the future.

“Most of us are going to live in this city for the rest of our lives, and hopefully, they will do a better job than we did, because that’s what we really want. We want to have a great city for everyone. And I think it’s also fair to say that we’ve shown this country and the world that you have a great city that includes everyone, that gives opportunity to everybody – lets them practice their religion, and say what they want to say, and love whoever they want to love.”

On Tuesday morning, the mayor hosted his 13th and final interfaith prayer breakfast at the New York Public Library.

As WCBS 880’s Paul Murnane reported, Bloomberg will reportedly leave City Hall later Tuesday surrounded by staff, friends and well-wishers.

Bloomberg used his final speech as mayor to thank religious leaders for helping New Yorkers in need and to praise the city’s diversity.

“I have always been envious of you,” he said at an interfaith breakfast at the New York Public Library. “Because you work at the real level where the real problems are. — Big numbers are easy to deal with. It’s much tougher when you deal one on one, looking at a person right in the eye who has a problem.”

Bloomberg turned more lighthearted when he spoke about the clock winding down on his tenure.

“As you may know, I’ve been mayor now for 11 years, 364 days and about nine hours, but who’s counting?” he said.

He also cited remarks by Pope Francis about the importance of cities, then quipped, “The fact that a Jewish kid can quote the Pope in a secular building built by Protestants in front of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh leaders really says all you need to know about New York City.”

Bloomberg told the gathering the city’s best days were still to come and added he plans to live in New York City for the rest of his life.

“It’s been a very rewarding 12 years, I’ll look back on it for the rest of my life and I’ll be able to say to my kids ‘your father tried to do something to make your life and you’re children’s better,'” said the mayor.